Chronic shortage across Britain 'forces midwives to handle three births at once'

Midwives are in such short supply that some have to care for three women in labour at the same time, an expert has warned.

Although some areas are experiencing a baby boom, with birthrates rising by up to 20 per cent, there are vacancies for midwives in every part of the country, the Royal College of Midwives said.

Meanwhile funding for maternity services has been cut by £55million, it added.

Siobhan Taylor quit the NHS after she found she was working 24-hour shifts and could be looking after several women in labour at the same time

Louise Silverton, who is deputy general secretary at the RCM, said: 'Women keep hearing about Government policy statements, such as one-to-one care from a midwife, but they are not getting that sort of treatment in many areas.

'Our members are telling us that they are overworked and overstretched and are running between beds dealing with, in some cases, three women at once.'

By next year ministers have promised that women will be able to choose whether to have their child in hospital, at home or in a midwife-led birth centre.

But the RCM's research appeared to undermine this promise, Miss Silverton added.

The Government has pledged 3,400 extra full-time posts - or 4,000 jobs when part-time workers are taken into account.

But the research, for the Darzi review into the NHS, shows a shortfall in England of 4,288 midwives.

And since 2001 there has been a 16 per cent rise in birthrates. In some areas this has been associated with high migrant populations.

The shortfall is estimated after comparing it with the NHS 'gold standard' for safer childbirth, which demands one midwife per 28 births.

The worst shortages are in London where 1,150 more midwives are needed to meet a 20 per cent rise in the birthrate.

Miss Silverton said: 'The maternity services have long been described as a postcode lottery - but our regional NHS responses paint a shocking picture of just how loaded that lottery for maternity care is.'

Ministers have promised £ 330million of extra funding for maternity services over three years.

But, according to Miss Silverton, research shows that nine out of ten maternity units do not know where their share of the £330million had gone - and it could have been diverted into other services.

She said: 'It is not enough for the Government to say it has put money into maternity services, but then fail to make sure the money actually goes where it is supposed to.'

The Department of Health said: 'Our maternity services are the safest they have ever been. We are committed to improving outcomes for both mothers and babies.'